August 28, 2013

Four Non-Alcoholic, Easy Cocktails Everyone Should Try!

You don't need a reason, like being knocked-up, to not drink (yes, I just said this), but for you preggos out there or those that don't like to drink during the work week, yet still crave a fun cocktail - this is for you. I spent some of last weekend, mostly during Liam's nap time, playing with fruit and mixers to come up with some delicious, yet easy drinks. I started with the newOzarka® Brand Sparkling Natural Spring Water in both plain and lemon (I also really want to try their other flavors) to craft four super easy, non-alcoholic cocktails that will help you get through the last part of your week, and take you straight into the upcoming long weekend (yay!). Happy Hump Day!

Do you love peaches? I do and I love a good Bellini. Super easy to swap out champagne with sparkling water, mix with 3/4 peach nector juice (or to your taste preference), garnish with actual peach slices and sip on this cool delight.

Perhaps the easiest of them all. My version of a Mimosa that can drink during pregnancy. A great way to start your morning off, plus mixing in sparkling water (about 1/3 or to-taste) helps cut down the thickness of the OJ, while adding a refreshing effervescence to your morning juice intake.

For something a little more cocktail-like... I got a bit more creative on this one. I mixed about equal parts (then went back at the end to add a bit more of what I was craving by tasting) of fruit punch (or in my case, Gatorade, fruit punch flavor, since I was looking to stay a little less sugary), ginger ale and the lemon flavored sparkling water. I added a bit of fresh lemon juice and garnished with a wedge (I wanted to also add in strawberries, too, but we didn't have any (so if you try that, let me know - maybe even give them a little muddling to release their juices). Liam woke from his nap to help about this point, taking his first bite out of a lemon wedge...

Another easy one, and perfectly satisfying for a hot summer night (the few we may have left): Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer. Another use for that fresh lemon and the lemon-flavored sparkling water (about 1/3 to the 2/3 of already made lemonade). Throw in some raspberries to make it extra special (didn't have those on hand either...), muddle to release their natural juices. This one is super refreshing and easy to make!

Thankfully for me... I had a few taste-testers on hand, who put my concoctions to the test:

Another good thing about non-alcoholic beverages... even the my little helper could try it out! He loved to muddle the fruit wedges and tried every drink! I think his favorite was the Virgin Mimosa. Greg's favorite was the Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer and my favorite was probably the Peach Bellini.